The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1887-11-11
A Leaf from q "Refor1i-
er's" Legislative
Record.
How He Supported a Funding lob
in the State Senate.
A Mal.OdOrous Trade with a Eotori.
GUS Carpet.Bag Senator.
Eeworlsans statsa.

benefactor, effuiRes now In print, now cor |
ruscatea in impassioned harAnguea from the |
stump, the recognized champion Of Nichols |
and the eIpounder in ordinary Of that unique |
policy which eulminsted in dismal failure /
and in the summary abridgment OF his GU |
bernatorial term by the unanimous vote Of |
q Disconnected people In constitutional con |
yention assembled.
IL Is not our fault, though, perhaps, II - |
Mr.. Whites misfortune, that in the role he
has assumed he becomes the legitimate sub
jeot Of personal and public criticism.
We he'd always belieyed-indeedi We
thought We kneY-thst Mr. White welded
an unbounded influence over Mr. Nichols:
that he inspired bis disastrous policy whilst
Governor; that he wrote his messages, aud
that in the Senate, Of which he was not
silent member, he was the recognized mouth
piece Of the administration.
In reading the speech which Gen. Nichols
read at Zaeharie on the 2bth, a subtle heaven
Of dnplieity Rms alt through the laboFed ac-
count Of the Governors trading with the
Radical negro members Of the rump Packard
Legislature AS when he says, for instance;
There was q number Of returned Repnb-
licAn members, both Senators and Repre-
sentRtiveB, who expressed e willingness 70 60
into onE General Assembly,, but With e9 N q.
clsimed that they could control 10 great
extent, in the Packard Legislature, the
patronage OF their respective sectionRi and
they urged they should b plaeigId y y i95e w.
we're confronted With two stubborn fastss
One Was the almost absolute necessity, for
peaeeable success, OK having those men with
Us; and the second 8as that they positively
refused TO 60 to us unless their claims were
acceded TO. In view Of those two facts, what
were those TO do who were chaTFed With tle
duty end rasponslbillity 81 in e.. ne q,
eight years Of misruie had placed her and Of
which there promised 10 be 4 possible and
probable indefinite eontinuane6f
We are not called upon 70 Glfcuss tine
morality or code Of ethics Of those who at
tRched conditions precedent 70 the per-
Torrance of q plain duty, We stood lace
TO face with hEeq facts and had 70 deal WITH
them es we found them for the public good.
At that time the appointing power to many.
Of the local Offices was lodged ~ lay n my
legsI letter oT tFEinmel was at libeTty legally
10 appoint RhOmspeYer might choose; 10
man BAD ''yested right, or legai night
70 complain Of the direction my judgment
ehOuld take on that matter The only daty
incumbent upon me as executive was to
make tb0s2 appointments TO the best u my
ability fer the public good. ITl the eytreoh-
binary condition ~ Whleh TIC state vas
then placed. my Judgment as to bow some
0f these appointments sboEld be made e. that
time so Es best to serve the public good took
an entirely different shape from What II
would have taken under ordinary o9ndl tLOAs,
Under ordinary conditions. should baYe
considered the duties Of each partieltat ONCE
and the fitness, from every poiptof new 0t
each applicant for that Office, aRd maze ne
nppointmCpt according to merit bearing IN
mind party claims and also the wishes Of the
community iB which the appolnfmeats were
70 be made. Dpty - the state the people
wy NV M X nv AVN lSisiies ana
would have al led mp % that result
IA matters actually stood was 20 e5r-
tain extent forced ph from that paFile4tlaf
line 81 action, a strict observance q i a.
1 that time was not the best course tef the pub
| lie welfare. The position before me waE 2
very plain one. II was simpiy, this: AAytter
/ We had gotten into q dc fact9 poHatlQp,
1 turned IL guch by The returning board was
| Ehe key 70 The whole situation.. We could
obtain that quorum through certain e0 s9 i
would entail TIE making Of q limited number
\ VI objectionable appointments In the lower
| grades oR Office, but It would carry with II,
Gs the general result, the power of appoint
Stat6. ana the full control forever Of the
state Nv Den ocfatie hands. II those eondi-
tiops were not acceptea, the hepupllcRps
mentioned would not .hsyc Joined US; We
4 could not obtain the desired quorum alld
4 foT want ot that quorum our 4Rht stood in
\ the greatest danger; A final Ioss of our
mWnI would nave I6HNAlcl tlph alAiA9 WIG ~
| poinhnent BY these same Hepp9llcans q
| the persons they desired, but II also would
have carried with ~ the eopf9nqqanee
4 % Radical domination throughout the
1 whole State, and the atpolp tplent Of
4 Obnoxious officials AZ along the line. II we
accepted the conditions, whilst we wcuSd
have 10 subordinate our persopa4 preferences
aud POLITICAL wishes g p9llit1sa eAlgsl,sselgs'
ously an acb could DO passed tand which ~
| point Of fact was passed. giving the, Cover
\ nor the power b Temoyo for cause oil statute
aud the public service be safely guarded in
Besides Gus, while gaining The object then
directly II front e rs We would q re s ;I
st Sies = " T
We do not believe that Gen. Nichols, who
read his speech, wrSle it himself II he did
\ 40 il part, we are/confdeat that the quoted
passage, al least, was written by mis- friend and
adviser, ex.Jud& White. But ~ truth W.
believe that tl& remarkable, wislgwashy
| bargaining agd eolorleBs speech, L not tht
original work OF the clhvalrous soldier a4e
eeitiS Si fb5t Gen. Nichols L universally
4 known toAle-since he says 70 himself.
1 a Dithy French proyorb says; Sui . bR
1 bora. We might sey conveying the SANG
| again. ~ the Legislature Of 1875 tlhed-
4 worth Of 81. Charles, typical cafpet-bag
senator of inetfpble mal-od9ro9s auteeed I;
i IN tie Senate bill providing for the run dln9
4 Of the floating debt o. the PARISH 81 n.
| Charles. This l}l hoge upon u lace ths
4 f'str1NbeTly mark q ielnsiap " ans ths
/ gOrse spoi Hating cagpet-bag lob
4 Ex-Judge White WAS . Senator the9. he
y had been elected after the gfifilIlg eYent9 81
\ Sept ~, al TING whep the best Of our oltl.
zens, with civil virtue aroused SOUGHT Wsil
| Ihe leRislatiYe halls That reform and pul94ieas
4 tiou might at last prevail after their herole
ailprt at diaeglthfMld ~,
A Among Tie first acts Of Senator " hite ERf
II tlle Introduction of a measure. doubtless ~
4 Rreas Reform He required the votes pf Z
/ part, at least, OF the ealIpets pagg9na aiAQ ne
II grqes IN the Senate, the l}elil9ei4ts i9giaR Y
XII senators White ana Chadworth held Gtslq
Il sIjtttIo conferences. II was etipalafsd RE-
tween tlletn and Aoie5nliy cYgen entea 5sl,ss
tlhadWprln #otiia 'HcAstcll ~ p''sA ~ ~
Senator White helped to pass that funding
n lob, and Chad worth Voted Tor ana aRslsted u
f1asRiIIq Senator Whites reform measure.
M sooner. However, had this been done
tlssn Senator White hurried Greg q his
House to VAIL 2 eertaln taelHpe9 g! WY ~
BODY and Y 1853 thAE " 2lHosfi 4 sg li t N,
member I'd aEtDnisbfilent sad ~ w y hAte,
y8u SsaiAse& ID tie passage ~ tnat pait lQ rs
henatc. Whit 90 you nsRn ~ eeeAlpg g
uYNentiy ita defeat ID tgie House
SonAt5f Nhite then relatel The ekeunl-
etlncet u the trade as We ten them aR2ys
lhe Legislator, 4 - needless y s.sy, con
seived no exalted opinion d tho diplomat
e5hi1ss involved 10 llie uattaf, nor GID he iss
como much interested IN Il until M; Apil.
llosf d planter Of nigh scei4l AtHndnS, VIII
Vaat infereats IN the parish Of st ghaFsea
sou I'M ~ interview With hiH e which hs
exf,6sad and denounced the iuiq nifty q Chad
I igbrlii IA sthaile OF bnoilatsens khen = va
Inf ths legisiaier tBhoss uatne Is AZ NJ
Whitse diapusan Organized al qpfoaitlo
qsitf tie aRaistAnce IF hfelheg legislator
suyh as Louis A. Miltxi James @e6rfes- ete-i
md Is idis tlie rgscally bin came ~ they, g
ihe b6yseAy. knocfed t1i etufAn Qut u ~.
Ia Sic fanaas bpiidoxlug e1Isbgggiio. Faiel
occarrod, rs every one knasssi n 1878. tgi
reaFg q fior the apiHode We have beeD falQt
tg, Coy. Nichols. in bis message g ~